World Health Organization

Health & Safety

'Unprecedented' World Health Assembly Convenes Online As Pandemic Rages

4:56pm May 17, 2020

by Jason Beaubien

The 73rd annual World Health Assembly, which begins Monday, will be held virtually for the first-time ever. It will also be focused on the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The U.S., according to the World Health Organization, has paid none of this year's assessed fees and still owes $81 million from last year.

U.S. Was Behind On Payments To WHO Before Trump's Cutoff

7:43am May 07, 2020

by David Welna

President Trump put a hold on funds to the World Health Organization, but the U.S. is already behind in its dues to the organization by more than a year.

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A custodian walks down the corridor of a field hospital set up for COVID-19 patients in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil has emerged as a new hot spot of the coronavirus, which in a span of just three months has reached virtually every country in the world.

'We Will Not Give Up': Marking 3 Months Since Coronavirus Became A Global Emergency

11:07am April 30, 2020

by Colin Dwyer

The World Health Organization declared the virus a global health emergency at the end of January. Since then, millions across the world have taken sick — but glimmers of hope have emerged, too.

Mark Green has stepped down as administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) after nearly three years on the job.

Exiting USAID Chief On The Pandemic, Foreign Aid, Trump's Policies

12:59pm April 29, 2020

Mark Green talks to NPR about what it's like leaving during a global health crisis — and what the future may hold for the agency.

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(From L) World Health Organization leaders at a press briefing on COVID-19, held on March 6 at WHO headquarters in Geneva. From left: emergencies program director Michael Ryan, director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and technical lead Maria Van Kerkh

What Is WHO And What Does It Do?

6:15pm April 28, 2020

by Pien Huang

The organization at the eye of the coronavirus pandemic is taking heat from U.S. critics. Here's a look at its history, its mission and its role in the current crisis.

Coronavirus antibody test kits are key to plans for proposed "immunity passports," but the World Health Organization is warning that such cards may simply encourage further transmission.

'No Evidence' Yet That Recovered COVID-19 Patients Are Immune, WHO Says

3:54pm April 25, 2020

by Colin Dwyer

The World Health Organization warned against "immunity passports," which allow travel only to recovered patients, saying studies must first confirm whether people are indeed safe from reinfection.

National security adviser Robert O'Brien told NPR that the White House is investigating Chinese funding of the World Health Organization. He is seen here earlier this month at the White House.

National Security Adviser O'Brien Alleges WHO Is 'Propaganda Tool For The Chinese'

7:06pm April 21, 2020

by Laurel Wamsley

Robert O'Brien said the White House doesn't know if money from China influenced the organization's decision-making, "but there are very few explanations for the way the WHO has conducted itself."

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Kelly Craft meets with President Trump at the White House on Dec. 5, 2019. Craft says the president acted out of "moral obligation" when he said he would halt funding for the WHO.

U.N. Ambassador Says Inaction By WHO, China Would Be 'Unforgiveable'

11:07pm April 15, 2020

by Jason Breslow

Kelly Craft, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., defended President Trump's decision to halt funding for the international health body, and said both Beijing and the WHO must show more accountability.

A security guard stands outside the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, where the novel coronavirus was detected in Wuhan, China.

Health & Safety

A Timeline Of Coronavirus Comments From President Trump And WHO

9:25pm April 15, 2020

How did the president respond to key moments during the pandemic? And how did representatives of the World Health Organization respond during the same period?

Chart showing top 10 contributors to WHO

Trump And WHO: How Much Does The U.S. Give? What's The Impact Of A Halt In Funding?

4:36pm April 15, 2020

by Pien Huang

Citing undue influence from China on the World Health Organization among other reasons, the president has said he wants to suspend U.S. funding for the global agency pending a review.